USA Today: As energy costs rise, more states and cities are adopting policies that encourage or require new construction to be energy-efficient. This week, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed into law what he called the nation’s strictest “green” building codes. “There’s been a huge groundswell in green-building leadership at state and local levels. It’s remarkable,” says Jason Hartke of the U.S. Green Building Council, a private group that tracks legislation and sets …